The Dead, The Dying
by The Fanfiction Revolution
Summary: "I only tell the truth, Damon, and the truth is nothing but a warning.I can only hope I haven't told you the truth too late." Set before Elijah dies. Back stories on Damon, Stefan, Elijah, and Klaus.
1. Drink Up

"Funny," Elijah murmured playing a smile as he pressed the glass to his lips.

"And what is that?" Damon turned from the fireplace to the window, his hands folded in his lap, a half empty glass of whiskey on the end table beside him. His eyes were slightly closed, and although his shoulders were slouched Elijah could see how Damon's muscles tensed as he spoke.

But Elijah just chuckled, the whites of his teeth just barely showing. He turned toward the fire, the light from the flames licking at the shadows on his face. "You and your brother remind me a lot of Klaus and myself."

"I wouldn't flatter yourself," Damon mumbled. Not once had he looked up to view the man on the adjacent couch.

Elijah shifted crossing one leg over the other as he did so. "I only tell the truth, Damon, and the truth is nothing but a warning." When Damon stayed silent, Elijah continued with narrowed eyes. "I can only hope I haven't told you the truth too late."

Again Damon said nothing. "I mean look at us," Elijah spread his arms out with a cheery purr, "You and Klaus destroying everything you cross. You're family, your friends your lovers," Elijah finished the last word with almost a hiss. Damon's jaw had tightened, his focus back on the fireplace. "And poor Stefan and I, left to pick up the pieces." Elijah was grinning now, a predatory glance as he continued mercilessly. "Why, just look at what happened to our _mothers_."

Glass screamed as it met the wooden floor. Damon was out of the chair now, his once calm façade broken. His chest heaved as his hand whipped toward the doors of the Salvatore house. "Get out."

"Sit down," Elijah purred unperturbed by his host's outburst.

"_Get out_."

"Now Damon, let's not do anything brash. I was just trying to make conversation," Elijah said with humor in his throat.

Damon jumped from the living room long, quick strides as he raced to reach the door. As his hand reached for the door knob a hand clutched his wrist and Damon swiveled around his other arm drawn back.

Elijah chuckled at the young man. "Calm down, boy," he held up a fresh glass of whiskey, "and drink up." Damon snatched at the cup but Elijah pulled it away, the bronze liquid not even moving for a breath. "Try not to break this one. You've already left quite a bit of a mess to clean up."

"What do you want?" Damon growled.

"I just want a talk, young Salvatore. I wouldn't want history to repeat itself." Elijah laughed again after a moment of silence. "Not much of a talker tonight. But please, sit down," he motioned towards the previous seats, flakes of glass still littering the floor. "We have quite a bit to talk about before the others get back."

Elijah moved towards the table and filled another glass with whiskey. Without a pause Damon swept by, snatching the bottle from Elijah's hand and dutiful slunk back into the armchair by the fire, glass snapping beneath his feet as he walked.

Grinning Elijah took his seat on the couch taking a careful sip from his drink. "If you're comfortable, I suppose I'll begin."

Damon took a deep drink from the bottle.


	2. The Sick and the Selfish

"Klaus and I were always close, even more so after our family died," Elijah began, licking his lips and casting a strange distraught gaze into the fire. "I've noticed you and Stefan are like that too, although not as willing to admit it. But there are things that can tear brothers apart." Elijah paused for a long time as he sat entranced by the fire. Damon shifted in his seat and took another drink. "I always thought nothing would get in the way of Klaus and me. But, Klaus is a very selfish individual." He gave another long pause and joined Damon in a drink. "Or maybe I was the selfish one."

Elijah stood before the stallion. It was a large, slick black animal filled with monstrous power. It had taken awhile to get it stay calm in Elijah's presence, and was probably more trouble than it was worth. But the beast was magnificent, and Elijah had time to waste.

Hay snapped. The horse screamed at the intruder ripping at the reigns and throwing itself in the air pounding at the wooden posts that tied it down. Elijah didn't move. "Klaus."

"A good guess." Klaus murmured from behind despite the cries that came from the choking horse.

"You always were one to make an uproarious entrance," Elijah said as he turned around, his hands folded behind his back. He hadn't touched the horse since his brother came in. "What is it you want?"

Klaus paused. "You spend all of your time in here tending to that horse. Why don't you come inside for a little while?"

"You know very well why I spend my time in here Klaus," Elijah said in an almost a steady tone.

"It was a mistake, brother."

Elijah was quiet before he spoke. "It was one too many."

"I was sorry – I still I am." Klaus took a step forward.

Elijah preoccupied himself with the crazed horse, his hands itching to lash out. "You knew what she meant to me."

Klaus turned his nose to the air. "We should talk outside, don't you think? Some place," he paused and looked at the filthied hay that lay on the ground, "cleaner. You know I don't like this damnable barn."

"Klaus-"

"Brother," Klaus said with a thin lipped smile. "Now's not the time to argue." Klaus turned to leave the barn picking up a lantern from the floor as he went the candle inside it flickering. "I'd watch out if I were you. These could start a fire."

Elijah turned dutifully back to the horse. It had calmed with Klaus' exit, but its breathing was ragged. He ran a hand through the rough mane before heading to the other end of the barn to grab the saddle. It was a jumbled mess, Elijah's hands working across the puzzle of the buckles and belts.

"Sir!"

Elijah greeted the stable boy with a curse and a shake of the saddle. "Look at this, will you? I don't keep you around to sleep in the loft, I expect you to _work_. Taking care of this" he held up the saddle, "being something you can work with if you're that bored." He looked at the anxious look on the boy's face. "What?"

"Sir, the barn is on fire!" the stable boy cried. Elijah stood rigid, but the stable boy ran past the few belongings he had kept in the barn in a bundle tucked under his arm. The smoke began to seep around the rafters.

A pathetic scream and breaking wood sliced the air. Elijah stood rigid in horror. His horse was burning. By this point the flames were probably licking at its face, torching its mane. It couldn't be saved.

The only thing left to save was himself.

The ceiling began to crackle which Elijah took as a sign to make a break towards the house, yelling at any servants that passed by to fetch water. But the roof of the barn had already caved in on itself. The stallion had stopped screaming.

"A shame." Klaus stood behind his brother, two servants with packed luggage next to him. He put a hand on Elijah's slumped shoulder. "It was just a horse, brother."

Elijah was tempted to say nothing.

"Come now, the carriage is ready."

"Come where?" Elijah demanded stiff jawed.

Klaus blinked. "Away, of course. We can't stay here. Look, the fire is spreading already," he said calmly motioning to the swallowing flames. "It will smother our house at any moment."

Elijah watched his brother warily. "How did you know to pack the luggage?" he demanded pointing to the servants. "And order the carriage? That would take hours, a day!"

Klaus only smiled.

Another loud crack came from the barn. "Are you ready, sir?" the youngest servant asked eying the fire with wide eyes as it crept closer.

"Yes," Klaus smiled. "Elijah?"

Elijah looked to the barn. "I forgot something," he said. "Let me go get."

Klaus followed his gaze to the raging flames. "I wouldn't bother, brother. It was probably swept away by the fire."

Elijah ignored him and walked back to the barn, the entrance engulfed by fire. He scanned the charring remains. Finding nothing of interest he turned around. Glass crunched underfoot. Elijah looked down, and Klaus' broken lantern and flickering candle rested at his feet.


End file.
